Face to Face (A Story of Coming Home)
by Ph0en1xL0ver
Summary: Jason never imagined when he went down to the docks it would be five years before he made it home. When he finally does, he finds the twin brother he never knew he had in his place. Lives will be shaken and relationships tested. A story that answers the age old questions what makes a person who they are and can true love really conquer all! Begins w/ my take on 12-14-17 scenes)
1. Chapter 1

Sam clutched the edges of her coat tight together, her eyes fixed on the horizon.

She knew she shouldn't be there. No good could possibly come from it, but she couldn't take another minute behind that desk. Despite her boasts of marketing prowess, it had taken less than one whole day of paperwork for her realize how in over her head she truly was. A brief stint on a television show did not a media mogul make, after all. But Aurora was the only investment she and Drew had to their name. Their future security hinged on their ability to run the company, and so she'd simply have to play the part until she figured it out.

The change in wardrobe was a good start. Her pencil dress and heels created the illusion of a savvy business woman, though they did little to combat the chill rising off the water.

'What am I doing?' She tossed her head back with a sigh.

That was the million-dollar question, wasn't it? She'd spent months practically living at that pier, and then years avoiding it for the same exact reason. This was _their_ place; one of many. It was also where he'd been shot by Faison and kicked into the harbor, effectively altering the course of her life forever.

The area was filled with the footsteps of passersby, but there was only one set of tracks her heart beat in rhythm with until they suddenly stopped.

"Sam?"

Her eyes fluttered closed as she drank in the sound of his voice. It was a small indulgence, one of the few she would allow herself. It was a sound some part of her had longed for, even after she'd accepted Drew as his brother.

She glanced over her shoulder to see him standing there, unable to speak.

The silence was unbearable, thick and awkward; a painful reminder of just how much had changed between them. How much she had changed, she reminded herself yet again, glancing down at her ensemble. Only now she didn't just feel underqualified. She felt like a little girl playing dress up in her mother's closet, or what she imagined that might feel like since she'd never had the chance.

Jason was supposed to be meeting Sonny, but something kept pulling him back to the place where he'd been robbed of everything he held dear. He thought maybe it was his need for answers, but as he stumbled on her he knew exactly why he'd been drawn there.

Five years was a long time, and he may not fully know her anymore, but he could still sense her pain, feel it like his own.

"Are you okay?" His concern churned her stomach.

She tucked her chin to her chest, her reaction hidden from the angle he stood.

Suddenly she knew exactly why she'd come to the pier that night. She'd been hoping to see him, to try and make things right.

"No," she shook her head from side to side, "No, Jason I'm not."

She sucked in a deep breath of cold air, hoping to steady herself after the wave of emotions crashing over her at the mention of his name.

"I just want to thank you again, for what you did the other night. If you hadn't come to the PCPD and verified our story there's no telling where they would have taken Drew or if we ever would have seen him again-"

He raised his hand, unable to take another second of her gratitude. Hearing his brother's name on her lips-well, frankly he'd rather another gunshot wound. It hurt less.

"You don't have to keep thanking me. I'm glad I could help you."

It was the first time he hadn't felt like a hindrance in her life since he'd returned, but judging by her crossed arms and narrowed eyes, he'd said something wrong.

"Jason, I completely took advantage of you. I didn't mean to…I was so caught up in what was happening with Drew and doing whatever was necessary to keep him here, that I disregarded any feelings you might have about it. I didn't think about what I was asking of you or what that would cost you. It was selfish, and wrong, and I'm sorry."

He rubbed the side of his jaw, grasping for an appropriate way to comfort her.

"Don't be." He exhaled deeply, knowing the next sentence would hurt him to say. "You were just protecting the person you love."

It was what she had always done, and one of the things he loved most about her. He was happy to know that, whatever changes she'd made in his absence, that trait remained a fundamental part of her being.

Sam ran a hand through her hair, mussing her perfect curls.

"But he wasn't…" the only one there she loved.

Of course, she couldn't say that. It wouldn't be fair to him or to Drew. Instead she fell spellbound in his tortured gaze. Those beautiful blue eyes dark with so much sadness and loss her own heart ached with it.

"He wasn't you," her shoulders lifted to meet her cheeks.

It was the first time she'd said it so bluntly. After weeks of dancing around the subject and tip toeing around the reality, she finally said it, and it was every bit as awful as she'd feared it would be.

"I do love him Jason..." she knew it wasn't what he wanted to hear but she needed him to know everything. They'd always respected one another enough to be honest. "He's a good man. He's been a good father to Danny and Jake, he's great with Scout."

Jason shifted uncomfortably in place.

"As long as you're happy." It took everything in him to choke those words out.

She wasn't sure why she had felt the need to tell him that.

"I was happy with you too..."

That was what she needed him to know. "I know this isn't fair to you. You didn't leave, you were taken, and you came back with another man in your place. Everyone believing that he was you...maybe that makes you feel like the time we shared," she gestured to the air between the two of them, "didn't matter as much or that you're easily replaced, but that's not true."

It wasn't until she'd sat in that interrogation room listening to his side of events that she'd dared to imagine how he might interpret the situation and she hated herself for taking so long to do so.

His head tilted slightly, dragging his eyes from her face momentarily.

"I don't blame you for any of this."

His voice was gentle but the angles of his face grew hard, and his eyes burned with harnessed rage.

She nodded, knowingly.

"I figured. You never were the type to sit back and wait for answers. You had to go out and find them yourself."

She hadn't been either, and if she was honest with herself, still wasn't. But her children had come close to losing her too many times already, so unless it was absolutely unavoidable, she would chain herself to the desk in her office and force herself to be good.

There was something in her voice he couldn't quite place, another reminder that they were no longer in sync.

"You're right, I want answers. Somebody did this to us and I want to know why!"

He lowered his voice, determined not to take his frustration out on her, but he couldn't help but notice her lack of fear. He was grateful for that.

"They took my memories and put them in someone else's head. They planted that person in my life, close to the people I love. Why? What does that get them?"

Sam felt her P.I instincts flicker to life.

"Maybe it wasn't about us. Drew escaped from Creighton Clark the same way you did that clinic in Russia. Sure, Helena followed him here, and used him to her advantage, but she didn't plant him in Port Charles."

Jason couldn't help but smirk at her insight. For just a second the last five years melted away and everything was the same.

"Maybe not, but those guys cared enough to follow me all the way from Russia to here. They could have killed you Sam."

The memory of her wet and limp in his arms made him ill. Had she died that night, it would have been because of him.

The anguish on his face spoke volumes. And as much as she'd like to pretend the danger had passed, she'd lived this life long enough to know better. Jason was right. Whoever had orchestrated this whole thing was still out there, and obviously was not pleased their plan had fallen through. There would undoubtedly be consequences.

Her heels clunked against the wood as she stepped closer to Jason, fighting the urge to take his face in her hands as she'd done so many times before.

"I understand why you have you have to do this. Just promise you'll be careful?"

A sick sense of deja vu washed over her as she thought of their final words that night. She had been so sure of his return and it had come five years too late.

He nodded, ignoring the flutter of hope in his chest.

Sam had never come out and said she was happy to have him back in her life. She didn't have to. He knew how she felt, and he understood why she couldn't say it. But still, he couldn't hold back the shadow of a smile hearing that small, familiar request.

"Yeah, always."

Her expression darkened.

No matter how many times he would promise otherwise, careful was not a word in Jason's vocabulary. It was something he didn't know how to be.

They stood there in the cold, staring at one another, both groping for words. There was so much left unsaid between them, and most of it was either too little or too much to express.

"I should probably go. It's getting late and Drew will be wondering where I am."

Jason hung his head and sighed.

"Yeah, me too. I was supposed to meet Sonny a while ago."

She nibbled on the inside corner of her lip. She'd agreed with her husband it was best to give up PI work, and she wasn't about to go back on that. But this was just as much her mystery as it was Jason's and Drew's. It affected her life too. Didn't that give her a right to know?

"If you have any more questions about the timeline I can-" she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it all to one side. "I mean I'd be happy to help with that. I might know some things that Sonny doesn't."

Jason lifted his hand to brush her hair from her face, stopping short just before contact. His hand fell.

"I appreciate that."

Though he wasn't sure he'd take her up on it. As much as he relished any excuse to be close to her, the idea of learning exactly how his twin had come to take his place in her heart was less than appealing.

But it did offer the promise of seeing her again soon.

"I'll see you around, Sam."

She smiled and mumbled some noncommittal agreement. Her heart still racing from the moment Jason had reached out to touch her. There was a strange mixture of relief and disappointment swirling inside. This was exactly why she hadn't gone seeking him out, why she couldn't be alone with him. Drew was her husband now. They had a family together, and a life that she genuinely loved. A name didn't change any of that. But as Patrick had been so kind to point out when he'd called off their engagement, Jason's existence in the world, or in that particular case the belief that he'd come back, had instantly changed who she was as well.

The brunette turned back to glance over her shoulder at the man walking away before beginning her own trek in the opposite direction, wondering, maybe even hoping, their paths would soon cross again.


	2. Chapter 2

Drew slid his key into the lock and paused outside the door. The penthouse had been his home with Sam and their children for the last two years. Whenever he felt lost or overwhelmed this was where he'd found himself. Now each time he crossed the threshold he felt like he was trespassing. From the first time he'd stepped into the apartment he'd felt a sense of connection and ownership, but those feelings were a product of Jason's memories. Nothing more. The penthouse wasn't his home. Apparently, he'd never had one. Andrew Cain was an orphan turned military nomad.

He sighed and turned the key, forcing a smile as he opened the door.

His grin faltered. His brows knit.

Sam was standing in the corner of the living room, plucking ornaments from the tree they'd meticulously decorated weeks before. There was no warm greeting or dazzling smile that he'd come to count on at the end of the day. She didn't seem to notice he was even there as she muttered and mumbled to herself.

"Hey," he slipped his jacket off and tossed it on the back of the couch.

"What's going on here?"

She dug her fingers into her hair, a few strands falling loose from the messy pile they'd been pulled into.

"It doesn't look right," she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear before ripping another ornament from the tree. Then another, and another.

He took another step toward her.

"Well, I'm sure we can fix it," he reached out to stroke her back, but she pulled away, jerking her head frantically from side to side.

"No, no, it's all wrong," she protested, ready to attack once more.

Gently, he grabbed her wrist to prevent her from dismantling the tree.

"Sam, stop." But he soon realized his pleas were falling on deaf ears.

Drew stepped up, wrapping his arms around her, but that only seemed to agitate her more. His grip tightened around her as she struggled in his arms. For some reason he thought of a bottle rocket falling to the ground just before launch, as he held her tightly and waited for her to burn through the frantic energy. After several minutes that felt like an eternity, she began to lose steam.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, planting a kiss on his arm.

He returned the gesture by kissing the top of her head.

"I know," he soothed, closing his eyes and resting his chin against her shoulder. "I know you are sweetheart."

She buried her face in his arm, ashamed of the scene she'd made.

"You want to tell me what just happened," he murmured gently.

Sam had been the strong one throughout the entire "two Jason's" ordeal. She was the one holding him up while he stumbled through the days of confusion and loss. Not once had she hesitated when he'd offered to let her go. Not once had she shown any sign of weakness or confliction where his supposed twin was concerned.

As she crumbled in his arms, he couldn't help but wonder what had changed.

"Something's wrong, and I want to help," he swallowed the lump in his throat. "But I need you to talk to me."

He twisted her position until they were standing face to face. His azure orbs burned into hers with unspoken questions and unconditional love as he stroked her hair and face, waiting for her to say something, anything.

"I don't want to hurt you." Her voice was weak and timid, not at all like the woman he'd fallen in love with. "But I don't want to lie to you either."

Drew felt every muscle in his being tense. He'd been anticipating this conversation since the day the DNA results came out, and simultaneously dreading it.

"I saw Jason today…down on the docks," she paused, watching for a reaction.

The mention of Jason had always grated his nerves, but even more so since he'd learned his true identity. Each time he heard the name, his fight or flight was triggered, and Drew wasn't about to run from his brother or Port Charles. Not when he had something worth fighting for.

"What were you doing there?"

Instinctively, he squeezed her hand tighter, as if afraid to let go.

Sam shrugged awkwardly.

"I don't know…," She thought it best not to mention her claustrophobia in the office or her cosmic pull toward his twin.

"I was just clearing my head, and I ran into him."

Drew's head cocked sideways, his tone growing accusatory.

"Did he say something to you? Did he upset you?

She pulled back slightly.

"What? No, of course not. Jason would never."

Sometimes it surprised her, how even with all his memories, he could misjudge Jason so harshly.

"Anyway, I got home and you weren't here. Monica called and asked to take Danny last minute Christmas shopping. Apparently, he wanted to get us something and didn't want us to be there when he did."

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk at the thought of his son's generosity, but fell quickly as he once again reminded himself that Danny and Jake weren't his children. They were his nephews.

"What happened here tonight Sam?"

She raised her hand up in the air, then lowered it, unsure how to proceed, to explain.

"I'd just put Scout to bed. I came down the stairs. The tree caught my eye, and I don't know, I just couldn't look at it like that. I-" she closed her eyes, knowing her explanation wasn't coming out right. So, she decided to start again.

Lifting herself from the couch, she took a few steps toward the tree. Her eyes falling to the ornaments she'd stripped from it.

"The night Scout was born…I was so scared we wouldn't make it. I was trying to call for you but you couldn't hear me. I was so cold and she was coming so fast…" she rubbed the sides of her crossed arms, as if the memory itself made her shiver. "I thought we might die under that bridge."

Finally, she turned back to meet his tortured gaze, and she knew he'd had the same fears. For good reason.

"Do you remember what you said to me that night?" She didn't wait for an answer.

"You called me your phoenix. You said that I always rose above, that I gave you the strength to do the same. You gave me the strength to push through the pain and exhaustion and together we brought our daughter into this world. I think about that whenever I see this."

Sam lifted the phoenix ornament up to be seen, hoping he would understand what she was trying to say.

"But it's also a symbol of my life with Jason. The dragon and the phoenix…double happiness."

His traitorous mind played through the memory of their wedding, and the vows they'd spoken that night. He still felt as though he were the one standing across from her, watching it play out in his head, but he knew the truth, and it haunted him.

He rose from the couch and brushed the silent tears that had trickled down her cheeks.

"The memories we made together, me not being him, doesn't make them any less real. Those things happened Sam, and we got through them together. Everything I said as Jason, I still mean as me."

She nodded, her chin trembling.

"I know, I did too!"

She placed her hands over his chest and leaned her forehead against his.

"It's just…Jason and I gave them to each other…it feels wrong using them for our tree, knowing that.

He cupped the back of her head in his hands, staring into those soft, chocolate eyes he adored. She'd once told him to look into her eyes and he'd find the truth there. He had that night, but over the last two years he'd found such more. He wasn't about to jeopardize everything they had built together by begrudging her past with Jason. He may not like the infamous enforcer or understand what Sam saw in him, but Danny had come from their time together, and so had the woman he'd come to love.

"It's okay, I get it. I have symbols I struggle with too."

His hands slipped from her head and down her arms, taking her hands in his.

"How would you feel about moving?"

Drew peered down at their connected hands. At the rings on their fingers that now meant nothing because their marriage wasn't legal. Every document he'd ever signed as Jason Morgan was now null and void; their marriage license, their divorce agreement, Scout's birth certificate…

"This place has been good to us, you know, we've had some good times, made some great memories," he sighed, lifting to meet her gaze. "But at the end of the day, it's not ours. It's his…and I just don't think I can live here anymore."

She nodded, slipping instantly into the role of dutiful wife eager to reassure him. A pang of guilt flooding her veins as she took his face in her hands, the same way she'd fought doing with Jason just hours before. Drew hadn't asked for this either. And while one brother was coming home to everything he had lost…well, almost everything, the other felt everything he knew slowly falling away with only her to ground him.

"You don't have to," she promised, pushing down her own feelings about the apartment. "We'll find a place of our own. Somewhere that's just ours."

She ghosted her lips over his, sealing her vow with a kiss. He returned the kiss, whispering his thanks for her understanding.

"How about I go upstairs and get that big box of ornaments? We can redecorate the tree."

Her gaze shifted over to the mess she had made during her meltdown.

"I did kind of mangle it, huh?"

Drew chuckled and held up his thumb and index finger barely a centimeter apart.

"Maybe just a little, but it's nothing we can't handle together."

He planted a quick peck on her lips and headed up the staircase.

Sam glanced around the apartment, a heavy feeling in her chest.

The penthouse had been her first true home, and for that reason it was a part of her. She'd prepared for her daughter Lila in those walls, fallen in love for the first time, and had it returned. It was Danny's first home, and Scout's. Leaving would be hard. It always had been. But she couldn't expect Drew to live in the shadow of those memories for the rest of his life. That wasn't fair to him.

It wasn't fair to Jason either.

The penthouse was his home long before it was hers. He might want it back. And even if he didn't, she couldn't imagine staying there without him. It was a ten-story time capsule, each room filled with the memories they had made. She'd never meant to share it with anyone else.

Drew returned with the ornaments, eager to repair the tree.

She forced a smile and removed some red and silver balls from the box, knowing this would be her last Christmas there. Soon she would be nothing more than a visitor at the door, picking up and dropping off Danny when he visited his father.

Her lips curled into a genuine smile. At least Danny would have many more memories there. The penthouse would always be home for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason rapped his knuckles against the door and waited. It felt strange knocking on the door of the place he'd called home for so many years. Even stranger was the knowledge that his wife and son might be just on the other side. There had been times he'd feared he'd never make it back to them. Now, there he was, standing like a guest out in the hallway, facing a little boy who didn't know him, and Sam, who had moved on in his absence.

His heart sunk. The footsteps approaching were too heavy to be Sam's or Danny's. The door swung open, his suspicions confirmed. Standing across from him was a man he didn't know, but recognized as Andrew Cain. They were both tall, blonde, muscular with blue eyes, and hiding by the stranger's frown he was no happier to see Jason than Jason was to see him.

His eyes narrowed.

"Sam's not here," he grumbled, instinctively puffing out his chest.

The enforcer sighed, looking down to the box in his hands. He couldn't deny this hadn't been the visit he'd been hoping for.

"I just wanted to bring this by," he offered up the package awkwardly, "for Danny."

Drew begrudgingly accepted, shifting the box in his hands, examining it with great detail. It was red and white striped with a large silver ribbon drawn up in a bow. If he had to guess, he'd say the work of a department store clerk…or Carly.

"Trying to buy the kid? That's a little desperate don't you think." He smirked dismissively at the box in his hands. "Oh wait, I forgot. You're the mobster with a heart of gold."

He glared up at Jason, eyes burning with hostility.

"You never do anything selfish or manipulative, do you?"

Jason noted snicker as he shrugged the accusation off. He didn't know what he'd done to antagonize the man in front of him and honestly he didn't care.

"I just wanted to do something nice for my son," he reasoned calmly.

This only seemed to agitate Drew more.

"Right," he snapped in reply. "Always the good guy. Always the best of intentions.".

The image of Sam frantically tearing apart their Christmas tree was still fresh in his mind.

"You probably don't even realize how much you upset Sam the other night. When I got home she was in a frenzy, ready to tear the whole damn house apart, but you, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Jason's relaxed expression fell. He'd sensed her unease at the start of their conversation but he'd seen nothing to indicate the level of distress described. That seemed please him.

"I was just passing by. She was there, I was there," his hands waved from one side to another illustrating his story. "I tried to help."

He thought he had...but perhaps he'd only made it worse.

"How about you do us both a favor and stop helping my wife so much? She doesn't want you, he growled, looking again at the present in his hand, "and Danny doesn't know you."

Jason took a deep breath and counted to ten. He thought of Sam, of Danny, and how there must be some good in the guy or else they wouldn't love him as they did. He reminded himself that, as far as they knew, his brother had as little choice in the matter as he had, and hadn't asked for the life he'd been handed.

He brushed an eyebrow with his finger.

"I understand Sam made a choice and I respect that." He didn't like it, but love sometimes meant sacrifice, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for the woman he loved.

"And if she doesn't want me in Danny's life, she'll tell me so."

A knot formed in his stomach. Fear wasn't something Jason processed like a "normal" person since his accident. He didn't feel it most of the time, but the thought of losing Danny too...that terrified him.

"Just please make sure he gets that," he gestured to the gift and turned away.

'He's a good man,' Sam's voice echoed in his head. 'He's been a good father to Danny.'

Andrew Cain was the man his son called "Dad," and by all accounts the two were happy and close before Jason had arrived. He couldn't imagine Sam denying him rights to their son, not when she'd always wanted him to be a father and had faith in his ability to do so. But what if Danny rejected him the same way Jake had?

Drew closed the door and locked it behind him.

'If only it were that easy,' he thought. If only a closed door was all it took to keep Jason out of their lives.

Some part of him knew Sam had both been telling the truth. He had years worth of memories in his head, proving how the universe worked in Jason Morgan's favor. Especially, when it came to her.. For weeks he'd played their previous chance encounters through his head, knowing exactly where they'd led in the end, and fearing this time would be no different. But it was easier to blame the man in front of him than to believe fate might be trying to redirect his wife into his twin brother's arms.

Throwing Danny in his face was a particularly low sucker punch. He wasn't proud of his behavior. Part of him even felt bad for it- the part of him that felt the pain of Jason's memories. But he was trying to rebuild his life with Sam and the kids, and couldn't very well do so with Jason always knocking on their door, searching for a way back in.

He'd barely closed the door in Jason's face when Sam came bursting through, her hands filled with last minute purchases for the holiday. After another long day at the office stumbling through her role as publisher, she was grateful for any distraction. Even the task of shopping on Christmas Eve held more excitement than the papers waiting on her desk and she knew with complete certainty her efforts in the store wouldn't fail. She couldn't quite say the same of her work at Aurora yet.

She leaned in offering a quick kiss, expecting him to help with the bags. To her surprise, one hand was already full.

"I thought we finished the gifts last night," she whispered so her son upstairs wouldn't hear.

Drew looked down again at the box, rotating it in his hands, feeling lost. There was an emptiness inside eating at him since "patient six" had first appeared, and each time he saw Jason or heard his name it only grew.

"Yeah, we did" his voice was thick with a longing he couldn't express. "Jason dropped this off...for Danny."

He looked up just in time to see that familiar shift behind Sam's eyes. The one that happened every time he'd pleaded with her to tell him she knew he was Jason Morgan. The one that happened the other night when she said she didn't want to lie or cause him pain.

Sam fluffed her hair with the opposite hand, her head angled to the side.

"Jason was here?" Her hand fell and she silently shook her head.

"We must have just missed each other."

She turned back toward the bags on the desk, eager to focus her attention on something, anything else but that mixture of disappointment and relief flooding her veins.

Her sudden interest in the items behind her did not go unnoticed.

"Yeah, guess so. Anyway, I'll just put it on the pile and he can open it with the rest tomorrow."

Her head snapped up, a clear sign that a decision had already been made. She called for Danny and pulled his coat from the closet.

Drew watched helpless, fearing that Danny would return with the same hero worship half the town held in regard to Sonny's favorite henchman.

"Sam, I thought we talked about this already?" He emphasized the we in that sentence. "We decided to wait, remember? And that I would be there when-"

He paused when Danny's footsteps grew closer to the bottom.

"We did," she offered another quick kiss to quiet his concerns, "and you will," she smiled as her son appeared at the bottom of the stairs, "but there's no reason Danny can't come with Mommy to visit an old friend." She spoke the last part with great enthusiasm.

Danny smiled and nodded, happy to be invited, and slipped on his coat while Drew stood brooding by the door.

"I know he's-" he sighed, grasping for a more vague word choice that still got his message across. "I know things are," his jaw clenched" different now, and maybe that means I don't get a vote anymore, but I really don't think this is a good idea."

Sam shot him a weary glance. She loved Drew and understood he was struggling with learning his true identity. But Jason was Danny's father and she had no intention of keeping them apart. If she and Drew were going to have any chance at a future together, he'd have to accept and respect that.

"It's just a quick visit to Uncle Sonny and Aunt Carly's. Like we've done a thousand times before." Her tone was gentle and reassuring as she took the present from his hands.

Danny looked up at them both, sensing the tension but not understanding it.

"Will mommy's friend from the hospital be there too?"

Daddy didn't seem to like Mommy's friend very much, but to Danny he seemed nice, familiar even, though he couldn't place from where.

Sam bent down closer to her son. So much of Jason was already a part of him; his blonde hair, his adventurous spirit, and most of all his kind heart. Drew had been wonderful with Danny and their connection was special, but she couldn't deny the joy she felt knowing Jason and Danny would have the chance to know and love one another. That was one of the few things she had no doubts about.

"He sure will," she ran her hands along the buttons of his coat, securing each one. "Would you like to see him again?"

Danny's gaze shifted from his mom to his dad, as though seeking permission.

"Not if it makes Daddy sad," he said hanging his little head.

Drew squatted down and lifted Danny's chin.

"Hey buddy," he cleared his throat and placed his hand on the young boy's shoulder. "I appreciate you looking out for me and wanting to spare my feelings, but if you wanna go, it's okay."

He and Sam shared a pained glance. Neither wanted Danny to feel the burden of adult complications.

"I'm not gonna be hurt or mad. I promise."

His innocent eyes searched Drew's face for any sign of insincerity and found none. Having his blessing was all Danny needed to smile and take his mother's hand.

Over at Sonny and Carly's Jason was celebrating the holiday with the other half of his family. Being without Sam or his boys was excruciating, but having Michael and his parents welcome him with open arms made being back in Port Charles bearable. The hope that someday he would be able to have a relationship with Jake and Danny kept him going. And though he tried to let go, he knew some part of him was holding onto Sam, praying she would find her way back to him as she had so many times before.

"Is it alright if I make a toast," Sonny asked, pouring three glasses halfway full and handing them out to his wife and best friend.

"Can I get in on that," Michael asked jokingly, earning a stern look from his mother.

Sonny shrugged, "I don't see why not," he filled another glass, though not as full, and extended it to his son.

"Sonny!" Carly exclaimed, clearly not okay with his decision.

"What? He's a man now, and it's only a quick toast. It's not like I gave him the bottle," he grinned, charming himself back into her good graces.

Michael sighed, wishing he hadn't even asked.

"Don't worry mom, I'm not gonna make a habit out of this. I promise."

She pointed her finger at him, with narrowed eyes.

"You better not," she threatened, but couldn't hold back a smile. Her three favorite men in the entire world were all together, happy and safe under one roof and she felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

"Okay, let's hear this toast," she shouted enthusiastically. Her audience chuckled.

Sonny peered down at the glass in his hands as though the words were written inside.

"I just want to say that I wouldn't be standing here without each of you. You know, good or bad, right or wrong you've always got my back," he looked up to the sentimental gazes staring back at him. "And I'll always have yours. I love you guys."

Jason, Carly, and Michael all nodded their agreement.

"So, here's to the ones we love, the ones we lost," his eyes flickered briefly to a photo of Morgan, "and those who came back."

He lifted his glass high.

"To family!"

The others lifted their glasses, echoing his final words. To family.

Carly collected the glasses and headed back toward the kitchen, needing a moment alone. Her husband's toast was beautiful but it had touched some fairly sensitive nerves as well. She'd slipped away to get some air, clear her head, but the photographs lining the walls whispered to her like ghosts from Christmas past. There were too many absent faces for this to truly be a Merry Christmas.

She was just about to head back inside when there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be," she pondered aloud reaching for the handle. The breath in her lungs evaporated as she opened the door and found Sam and Danny on the other side.

"Got room for two more," Sam asked hopefully.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam drew her hand back from the door, her stomach aflutter. She clutched the gift in her hands tighter, doubt already creeping in.

'Maybe Drew was right.'

She'd rationalized back home that this would be just like any other visit, but it wouldn't.

The door opened. At the entrance stood Carly, gatekeeper of the Corinthos household.

The brunette felt the butterflies in her belly begin to sink.

It wasn't that she feared rejection. She knew they would be accepted in, even if only for Jason and Danny's sake. But it wasn't quite the same as being welcome. For years, she and Carly operated under the unspoken agreement of tolerance between them. They'd had moments of decency and compassion, but they had been for the sake of loved ones, not genuine friendship. When that common thread was gone, they honored his memory, taking care of one another the way he would have them, and somehow in that process they had come to finally respect and care for one another in a way they never could during his life.

But Jason was alive, and with that joyous news also came loss. Carly had her best friend back, which made Drew feel like he wasn't needed anymore. As much as she didn't want to, Sam understood. It was clear seeing them together, the three had picked up right where they left off, and she wasn't sure where that left her either.

She did her best to smile and act normal.

"Got room for two more?"

The blonde double blinked and shook her head slightly.

"Yeah, of course," her hand motioned them forward.

Danny bounded in without hesitation, his mother carefully stepping in behind him.

The two women shared a glance as she passed.

Carly opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. What could she say? She knew there had been a time when she'd have slammed that door in Sam's face, more than one. She had a long history of placing Jason above all others, and her behavior since his return seemed to continue that pattern. She'd already lost Drew because of it. She didn't want to lose Sam too.

"Sam…" She rushed forward suddenly, draping her arms over the brunette's shoulders. "I'm really glad you came."

Sam squeezed her back with her free arm and the blonde smiled.

"I am too,"

"Me three," Danny chirped, never one to be left out.

Both women looked down lovingly at the little boy as Carly ruffled his hair.

"Of course, you too!"

Sam bent down to set the gift aside and help her son with the buttons of his coat.

"What have you got there," the hostess asked, sharing a twinkly wink with his mother.

The boy picked it up and gently shook it.

"Don't know, Mommy won't let us open gifts until tomorrow," he looked up at Sam pointedly.

"Actually Danny, this gift is special" She said, taking it from his hands. "It came from someone who loves you very much, who never got to spend Christmas with you before, so I thought we could come over here so he can see you open it, and you can thank him personally. Are you okay with that?"

He grinned happily.

"I get to open one tonight?!"

Both women laughed, while the five-year-old watched, bewildered. Apparently, he'd missed his own joke.

His mom stood up, her smile tight as she reached for the buttons of her own coat. Her dark eyes flicked back to the door behind her.

Sensing her hesitation, Carly acted quickly.

"How about Danny and I head into the kitchen and find him a Christmas cookie?"

Sam nodded numbly.

"We're all in the living room, so just, come in whenever you're ready."

She took Danny's hand and lead him toward the kitchen, leaving the brunette alone with her thoughts.

There were so many memories trapped in those walls, first with Jason, and then later with Drew. There was no telling which ones were waiting to pounce beyond that doorway. Her eyes fluttered closed, shutting out the phantoms of her younger self, and the voice inside her whispering that she'd once again gone seeking him out, despite the promise she'd made herself.

Danny was Jason's too, and he'd missed too much already. She refused to feel guilty for uniting them.

In the living room, Jason stood congregating with Sonny and Michael. Suddenly, he felt the air change. It was thick and charged with potential energy. Michael, who had been doing his best to appear interested in his father's story, perked up. His eyes fixed somewhere behind the enforcer's head. Sonny trailed off as his gaze followed Michael's. Jason didn't have to look to know what, or rather who had captured their attention. Only one woman made air particles dance for him like that.

He turned to see her hovering by the doorway, hands clasped at her front, anxiously fidgeting with her fingers.

"Speaking of family," Sonny said with a dimply grin.

The blonde watched as he strode over to welcome his new guest. She troubled expression faded as he approached. Her dark eyes lit up, making Jason's heart constrict in his chest.

He felt a nudge at his elbow.

"What are you waiting for," Michael prodded, sounding just like his mother when she meddled. "go to her."

He wanted to. It was taking every ounce of will power he had not to go running up to her.

"I can't," he sighed, turning back to face his nephew.

The younger man bucked at his declaration.

"Why not?"

Jason looked over his shoulder once more to see Sonny whispering conspiratorially in her ear. What he wouldn't give to trade places with his friend in that moment!

"Because," he paused when their eyes met across the room, "it wouldn't be right." He downed the last swig of his drink. "And I don't want to make this any harder for her."

Michael's lips curled into a sad smile.

He'd already known what the answer would be. Jason would never go after another man's wife, nor would he ever disrespect what he believed to be Sam's wishes.

"Well, it looks like she's coming to you," he clapped his uncle's shoulder, with emphasis.

"Jason."

He turned to meet her gaze.

Michael nodded in greeting to acknowledge her presence before walking away to give them some privacy.

"Sam," he breathed her name with the reverence of a prayer. "What are you, what are you doing here?"

Just as she opened her mouth to speak Danny came bounding in, a cookie in his hand, while Carly trailed behind, holding his present. To everyone's surprise, he walked straight up to them, studying Jason with curious eyes.

"You're mommy's friend from the hospital. The one who knew me when I was a baby."

The corner of Jason's mouth rose into a half grin.

"Yeah, that's right. I am."

Danny took a bite of his cookie, puzzling it out in his mind.

"Are you the one who gave me the special gift? The one mommy said I could open?"

Jason looked over at Sam, who offered a watery smile.

"Yeah, I brought it over for you this afternoon." He could barely get the words out.

Danny nodded, as though coming to some important conclusion.

"Does that mean you love me? Mommy said the person who gave it to me loves me very much."

Again, he lifted his gaze to Sam, his eyes brimming with tears, then back to Danny.

"That's right. I've loved you for a long time, before you were even born. And I, I wanted to be here for you, and I would have been if I could have, but someone took me away from here," he explained.

Danny smiled, looking up into the stranger's face. He knew it from somewhere.

"That's what mommy used to say about my daddy, before he came back, and we became a family again."

Carly sprang into action, eager to diffuse the tension. She bent down next to Danny and raised the box up to him.

"You ready to open this?

The little boy's eyes lit up, glancing back toward his mom one last time for permission, before taking the box and tearing wildly into the wrapping paper. His mouth hung open as he stared at the contents in the box.

"Cool," he shouted, lifting the battery-operated motorcycle up over his head.

Sam shook her head with a smile, thinking back to one of the few happy memories of her pregnancy with Danny. When they'd first been told that she was carrying Jason's child.

He looked up at Jason hopefully.

"Can you show me how to work it?"

She watched from the sidelines as Jason helped extract the vehicle and remote from their packaging, and crawled into the floor to play with their son. Together they took turns working the controls, zooming the bike around the room. Danny wasn't content with the open space of the living room. He preferred the challenge of weaving under feet and around objects.

'Just like his dad,' she thought.

They played for the better part of an hour, all the while Sam fought to remain present.

Wandering into the what if's and should haves was painful and counterproductive. If Jason had come home that night, he and Danny could have spent the last five years together. But then she and Drew never would have met, never fallen in love. Emily Scout would never have been born, or even thought of. Granted, she wouldn't have known any of that. All she would have known was that she and Jason finally had the family they had dreamed of, and perhaps they would have had a daughter of their own. But that child wouldn't be the one sleeping at home in her crib.

It was a vicious cycle with no right answers and no resolutions.

Jason hadn't come home that night. Drew was her husband now, and she had two beautiful children, both of which had loving and doting fathers. That was the reality.

"I know exactly what you're doing," Carly whispered next to her.

Sam crossed her arms with a sigh.

"And what's that?"

Both women turned back to the sight of father and son together.

"You're trying not to enjoy this too much. Because if you let yourself admit how happy this makes you, then you'll think you betrayed Drew and feel guilty about it."

The brunette's expression gave nothing away, but everything about her seemed to sink inward, confirming the accusation.

"It's not as simple as you make it out to be," she mumbled, sliding her hand up her arm and under her chin.

Carly huffed defiantly.

"I never said it was simple. It's complicated and messy, and no matter who you choose someone is going to end up getting hurt."

Sam scoffed, shaking her head, her hand falling back to her elbow.

"And you would rather that person be Drew."

The blonde bristled at the accusation but quickly recovered.

"I would rather he hurt a little now, than a lot more down the road when you realize you can't keep the promises you're making."

The brunette glared back, dark orbs sparkling with indignation.

"I stood in this house and promised to love and honor my husband for the rest of my life, believe it or not, I'm having no problem doing either one.," she spat defensively.

They had stood in that same living room, raising their glasses, toasting to their friendship. The best of friends, Sam had called them, and they had been. Drew may not have been Jason, but he'd been there to pick Carly up numerous times over the last few years, and that did count for something. It just didn't make him the man he believed he was.

"Maybe so, but you also promised him your whole heart. Can you honestly say that vow wasn't broken the second you saw Jason's face?"

Sam shot her a look of defiant defeat. She couldn't confirm the truth of those words, but she couldn't honestly deny them either. Much like the situation in which she found herself, it was an argument she couldn't win. There was nothing to do but retreat with dignity.

Jason observed from the corner of his eye as she excused herself and headed toward the terrace. He hadn't heard their quarrel from his position in the floor, but he knew Carly. He knew her incessant compulsion to interfere on his behalf. It wasn't difficult to surmise that she'd inserted her two cents where it didn't belong, and Sam hadn't appreciated her commentary.

Michael sensed the tension too and came to join his uncle and Danny on the floor, knowing he would want to smooth things over with Sam and apologize for his mother's overstepping. Once the boy was engrossed in his distraction and no longer aware of his father's presence, Jason grabbed his jacket off the couch and followed her outside.

She was standing alone, head tilted toward the sky in wonder, staring at the stars.

He couldn't see her lips curl into a smile upon his approach. Nor was he aware how his proximity made her pulse race when he placed his jacket on her, or how it fell when he stepped back and dug his hands into his pockets.

"I'm sorry about Carly," his gaze shifted to the woman standing next to him and the way her eyes shone in the starlight. "She means well."

Sam nodded, pulling his jacket closed at the collar.

"I know…she just doesn't understand."

Jason glanced down at the ground, and then up at the stars. He knew technically they were nothing more than old light reflecting through the atmosphere. They were marveling at something that was already gone, but he'd never had the heart to tell her that. For her they were a sign of hope and home, and he would not be the one to rob her of that.

Finally, he dared to meet her eyes again, knowing he'd fall under her spell the minute he did.

"Thank you for coming tonight and bringing Danny. I can't even tell you what that means to me."

She lifted her hand as though she were going to touch his face, but then moved it to her lips instead.

"I think he recognizes you," she angled her head to watch his reaction. "I used to show him your picture. I told him all about you." Her expression grew wistful. "How you were the greatest man I'd ever known, how much you loved him, how much we loved each other."

Her words hung in the air, a heavy silence between them.

"I still do…" He watched her pull her bottom lip between her teeth. "No matter what happens, I always will."

Jason shifted uncomfortably in place.

"You don't have to say it back, I just needed you to know."

He wished she'd say something. For a moment, he thought she was going to. She opened her mouth, but then closed it again. Finally, she slipped his jacket off her shoulders and handed it back to him.

"Merry Christmas Jason," she smiled weakly before disappearing back into the house.

From the window he watched as she bent down and kissed their boy on his head. He saw Carly's face fall as Sam announced their departure. Then she gathered their things, wished everyone a happy holiday and disappeared down the corridor leading to the exit, Danny in tow behind her. Where they were going, he couldn't follow. No matter how natural it felt to play with their son, or how familiar Sam felt to him in those seconds alone on the terrace, Drew was the one they would be coming home to. He was the one Danny called dad and the one Sam loved now.


End file.
